The Question:

Which state is known as the "Gem State"?

The Answer:

In addition to being known as the "Spud State" and the
"Panhandle State", Idaho is also referred to as the "Gem State".
Ironically, though Idaho produces more than one fifth of all the
silver mined in the U.S., its only native gemstone is garnet, which it
does not produce in large quantities.

The nickname actually existed long before the land which was to
become Idaho was formally designated a U.S. territory. "Idaho" was at
that time believed to mean, in an unspecified American Indian
language, "Gem of the Mountains" — a claim later found to be
fictitious.

If you'd like more information on Idaho, check out its entry in
our almanac.